Vera spoke at the AAFDA Annual Conference in January 2012. View some local press coverage.
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The Labour Commission on Women’s Safety began gathering evidence just before Christmas. My colleagues, MPs Kate Green, Stella Creasy and I, met in London with twelve leading national women’s organisations to scope out what our inquiry needs to cover. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has asked us to produce a provisional report by International Women’s Day in March about whether, and if so how, coalition decisions, policies and legislation are impacting on women’s safety. Read the rest of Vera’s piece in Left Foot Forward. From changing the definition of domestic abuse to turning off street lights, recent policies are contradictory and harmful… Read Vera’s piece in the Guardian’s Comment is Free section Making women safe is something on which the Labour Government spent time and resources. Now, the well-known concern that the Coalition Government is hurting women disproportionately in the purse compared to the impact on the male wallet, has turned a more worrying corner. Because the cuts in public spending, legal aid, local government and the police – to mention just a few – appear not to be being assessed for their cumulative impact on women’s personal safety. Street lights being turned off and poorer public transport make women anxious, whilst police cuts could lead to fewer specialist officers to continue reading The Labour Women’s Safety Commission At the invitation of Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Vera is Chair of the Labour Commission on Women’s Safety. It will investigate whether Coalition cuts and policy changes are starting to endanger women’s safety. With cuts to street lighting and public transport, unstaffed trains, women’s violence services under pressure, legal aid cuts and damaging proposals such as halving sentences for rape guilty pleas, there is a concern that this boys’ public school-run Government has neither cultural affinity understanding of women’s isues. Are women being put into danger? The Commission will be going nationwide to find out what continue reading Vera to Chair new Labour Commission Vera tells the Huffington Post why Family Law legal aid cuts will add to court costs and license more domestic violence. Vera is pleased to have written a new clause into the Legal Aid Bill for the ‘Justice for Jane Clough’ Campaign and got the Shadow Justice Minister to propose it in the House of Commons. “The Government has accepted it in principle but it must go into this Bill and not be delayed because it will save lives” Here is Julie Bindel’s excellent piece from the Guardian and Vera’s piece on the Justice for
continue reading Justice for Jane Clough Research Project: Responses to Rape Questionnaire for Solicitors Astraea: Gender Justice (Research) is undertaking a small research project on the responses of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to applications made by survivors / victims of rape. Because we are aware that solicitors are approached by victims / survivors of rape and/or advertise their services in respect of applications for CICA compensation, it is important that solicitors’ perspectives are included in this study. Astraea would be extremely grateful for your co-operation in responding to this questionnaire. To answer questions, please tick the appropriate box. Where you think it is helpful continue reading Astraea: Gender Justice – Questionnaire for Solicitors, Victim Support and Rape Crisis Vera is pleased to have been elected Chair of the Board of Directors and a Trustee of the Centre for Criminal Appeals. CCA is in process of being registered as a charity. Her co-directors are well-known crusading solicitor Glyn Maddocks and project manager and pioneer of the US Innocence Project, Emily Bolton. The Centre for Criminal Appeals (CCA) is a new “access to justice” initiative which is currently in its start-up phase. Its mission will be to work to overturn unsafe convictions by providing investigation and direct legal representation on Criminal Appeal cases in England and Wales. It aims continue reading The Centre for Criminal Appeals |
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Vera Baird - click for bio.
Vera was MP for Redcar from 2001-2010. She is now the Women's Officer of Hornsey&Wood Green Labour, Chair of Crouch End Branch and of Haringey Borough Campaign Cttee
Vera has been unanimously elected Chair of the Eaves/Poppy Project.
Vera is on the Fabian Society Executive
Vera is a Member of the Justice Council
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